The Wild
Friends of my heart, lovers of Nature’ works,
Let me transport you to those wild blue mountains
That rear their summits near the Hudson’s wave
Though not the loftiest that begirt the land,
They yet sublimely rise, and on their heights
Your souls may have a sweet foretaste of heaven,
And traverse wide boundless.
From this rock
The nearest to the sky, lets look out
Upon the earth, as the first swell of day
Is bearing back the duskiness of night
But lo! A sea of mist o’er all beneath:
An ocean, shoreless, motionless and mute,
No rolling swell is there, no sounding surf;
Silent and solemn all: the stormy main
To stillness frozen, while the crested waves
Leaped in the whirlwind, and the loosen’d foam
Flew o’er the angry deep.
See! Now ascends
The Lord of Day, waking with pearly fire
The dormant depths. See how his glowing breath
The rising surges kindles; lo! They heave
Like golden sands upon Sahara’s gales.
Those airy forms disporting from the mass,
Like winged ships, sail o’er the wondrous plain
Beautiful vision! Now the veil is rent,
And the coy earth her virgin bosom bares,
Slowly unfolding the enraptured gaze
Her thousand charms.

Thomas Cole (American. 1801-1848)

Thomas Cole is one of my favorite American Painters. I have been very lucky to see both of these paintings in real life. Now, this weekend I will be visiting the The Thomas Cole National Historic Site situated between the Hudson River and the Caskill Mountains in Greene County, for a much needed R&R. I'll be back on Sunday...Everyone have a great weekend!